A Street Gang of Wings
by everdragon
Summary: Through a twist of fate Eren and his friends are in a street gang, not the military. And as they're reach grows the Corps can't help but entangle with the group. This was inspired by nippaaah's drawings on Tumblr of a gang!AOT characters.
1. Chapter 1

Eren glanced behind him, yanking his jacket up around his ears. A cold wind was blowing and he didn't feel like catching a cold - he didn't need any more problems. Time would already have to be spent mending the sleeves the garment. _Damn. I don't have time for that. I have better things to do with my life than cower and sew my clothing back together._

When he heard Mikasa's voice behind, asking when he was planning to return, Eren responded with only a non-committal snort. _Foolish. You know she will make you answer. Stop wasting time._

"Soon."

"You cannot stay so mad at everyone Eren. Come back. You will get hurt out here without my help." _Back. _She meant to the base of course, the place their gang was based out of. It was really just a worn down building on the edge of the district. But if he was honest Eren knew that wasn't really what his adopted sister meant; she was speaking of much more then a building (or ramshackle excuse for one). He had to go back to his friends, keep helping the rest of them eek out a living. Keep hiding. He was one of the strongest there, excluding Mikasa. They needed him. _That doesn't make it any less cowardly. _

"How can I go back when everything around here is dying Mikasa? How can I run back to my place in the Wings and not feel like I have run away from everything that is hurting the people that live here?" His anger was uncontrolled and he knew it. _Same as ever – I cannot even control my emotions enough to speak clearly. _

"You can't save everyone Eren. You know that. So help those you can. But do not be rash and abandon the rest of the Wings! They need your anger and determination to drive them on. Otherwise they will only turn back to being what they once were. Now calm down and come back."

_The Wings. _The gang's name was strange in a way. Most names for groups of people like Eren, Mikasa and Armin were tough and cruel sounding, meant to intimidate. In a way the Wings' name was too – in full the title was Wings of Wrath. But it was too alliterative to sound good shouting out and besides, the gang wasn't particularly wrathful compared to what it once had been. Several years before Eren and his friends had joined the group had been led by a very different kid - Levi. Of course the term 'kid' could only be loosely applied in this context. Levi had been one of the most feared gang leaders and was a king among the people of the slums- strong, fierce and he could be controlled by no one. But Levi had left some time ago, joining the army of all things. _Why do that when all of those fools just run when a Titan appears? _Of course that was hardly fair. Many in the army were spineless cowards, but the ex-criminal most certainly did not fit in that group. Levi had joined the Survey Corps, and had become near legend. _When will we be able to fight back the same way? Because I will not watch as more citizens die at the hands of Titans. We have to fight back somehow. We have to!_

"I cannot hide from them anymore. I want to kill all of them! Every last Titan will fall!" Eren was furious, but all the same he knew what was going to happen once he said that. Anytime his fury got to strong Mikasa reacted the same way.

Sure enough Eren felt his legs get swept up from under him from under him. He rolled, cushioning the fall. "Don't act so rashly, and do not throw your life away! What do you want to do? Die? Only those trained stand a chance against the Titans, Eren and you know it. Think! Without me here you would be dead already. Do not go making yourself more in debt." Mikasa's voice was angry now, traces of fury suddenly welling up. _She wasn't like this before the attack. She was always calm and serene. Now there is an anger in her eyes that rivals mine- when it shows. _It was true. Though the girl did not let it show as much as Eren did she too had a furious hatred of the Titans. Hers however, was channeled into helping the gang fight and survive the Titan attacks as best they could.

Eren nodded, "I will come back. But we have to find some way to retaliate Mikasa. I don't want to sit here in the dark, never having seen the outside of the walls, unable to relax because of the Titan threat."

"I know. But there is not much you can do if you run away out of anger at the others in the gang. Not everybody is as willing to fight Titans. Most are happy with their place in a gang. Have patience." Grabbing his arm Mikasa gently lead him back towards the base house for the Wings.

…

"How are we supposed to fight against the Titan's?" Jean asked the question first, with Marco giving a nod of agreement. "We have enough trouble defending ourselves against our rivals without worrying for humankind. We don't want to lose our lives in a battle only soldier's fight!" _Can they not see? The gang's territory matters little if the wall breaks like our homes did. _But Eren knew the argument would not be won right away. Mikasa had convinced him to be patient. _Not fun. Why can't I just yell at this guy? _Everybody knew of Eren's short temper anyway – hell the whole _city _probably knew of his short temper and furious arguments. There was a reason Eren had a tattoo of a flame on his back – he was always the first of the lot to explode into anger. Biting back a retort Eren simply snapped;

"Just think on it Jean." After all there wasn't much else he could do. No matter how much he hated the Titians he would not let his wish to attack them destroy the Wings, he would not let the conflict tear them apart. Not when the gang was in troubled times anyway.

"Enough of that for now." Armin's voice sounded behind the two as he walked over. _You have also changed, my friend. _When they were young Armin had been the weaker one, the one needing help. Now the boy was as fierce as the rest of them in a fight. "Show me your shoulder Jean." It was a command, and Armin held out a small tube of cream.

Glancing over at the other gang member Eren noticed that Jean's normally loose brown-red jacket was pulled tight around his left shoulder. _What did the idiot do now? _Eren couldn't help grinning at Jean's refusal. Armin was also in charge of helping the members of the gang when injured. However, the blond kid wouldn't tolerate people trying to hide their pain. _Foolish to keep hiding it that Jean, Armin will just get mad at you. Yep. There he goes. _Right on cue Armin leant down and yanked the jacket to the side. Exposed was a new tattoo, one of wavy and sharp lines. It curled over the guy's shoulder, from just above the collarbone to about a hand's length down the back.

Marco winced at the red skin around the new ink. No wonder Jean was hiding it; Marco was always upset when his friend was in pain. _It's a big one Jean. Didn't know you had the guts to get a tattoo. Suppose I have to stop teasing you about being weak now. _ Honestly, Jean had never been a weakling. It was just a way for both Eren and Jean to blow off some steam arguing. Sure, the heated confrontations had started with malice but both had changed since then.

Armin leaned down and handed Jean the tube of cream. "Rub it on you fool. It will dull the pain."

Eren smiled. Armin healing everybody, Mikasa scowling him, Marco being kind, Jean being stupid… the gang wasn't bad when he thought about it. He still had the pent up fury at the Titans and their evil… but the Wings was where he belonged. And they would make a difference against the Titans. Together. For once he was glad for Mikasa telling him to be patient. No matter how he loathed humankind's enemy how could he turn away from them? From his gang? They were fierce and loyal and… in a way they _were _his wings, in more that name. They made him whole.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry if Armin is more violent then he is in the anime/manga. I thought this personality was good for him given that he is in a street gang. Also all descriptions of character's appearances are based off of nippaaah's work on tumblr. She is amazing. **

**And sorry the chapter is short. **

Armin stopped, listening. There were loud voices coming from the structure to his right, but hardly surprising or unusual. It was a cheap sort of tavern, always filled with a multitude of uncouth drunks enjoying the liquor. In this part of the city, the border between the slums and the normal poor section, that was not unusual. What was unusual was who he had heard speaking inside the run-down building.

The voice of another gang's leader, along with several of his followers. Armin didn't know the guy's name, nor did he give a damn what it was. These people were his enemies, and they were on his gang's territory. The fact that it was on the very edge didn't matter, a trespass was a trespass. The small teen grinned and put two fingers in his mouth, letting out a short whistle. The rest of the Wings were only a block away and would easily hear the noise with so few other people on the streets. It was time to teach these rivals a lesson.

When the rest of the gang had gathered around Armin nodded towards the entrance of the inn, "Listen".

The others quieted and waited. It was not long before the voice sounded again and all of Armin's friends recognized it. Jean glared at the doorway and reached for the short pole that he carried with him. For most people it wasn't much of a weapon, but Armin had seen Jean in action enough to know just how dangerous he could be with the stick of metal. Marco held a sort of bat, thick and wooden. Mikasa, as usual, held no sort of weapon. But then, she didn't need to, being as good as she was. Eren had reached for the wicked looking knife he always carried.

Armin grinned again. The response was exactly what he had expected. If the trespassers thought they were going to get away easily they were in for a surprise. "Jean, Marco, go around the back. You work well as a team. Go in when I whistle again." The two nodded their accent and quickly moved away and Armin paused until he was sure they could have made it around the building.

As he waited Armin looked at the front door contemplating. The door was slightly ajar. That made it hard to bash in and he wanted an entrance. Deciding he would have to settling on kicking the door open Armin scooped up his skateboard, threw back the hood on his sleeveless green jacket a slammed his foot into the door. Noise exploded as it crashed into the wall on the other side, straining the poorly made hinges.

There were a few people in the place other than the Wings' rivals who let out cries of protest – cries which died off quickly as it was realized that this wasn't just some drunk barging in. Armin stepped into the building, sensing Eren and Mikasa step in beside him. The leader of the rivals – Jackals was the name of the gang if Armin remembered correctly – stood up.

"What do you want kids?" The tone was condescending, with only a hint of anger in it. _They don't regard us as a threat. Time to change that. _Eren's voice exploded from beside the blond. As usual his friend had not been able to keep his temper.

"You are trespassing on our territory and you know it!"

"Trespassing? Your gang has no place here and you know it - there are how many of you? Five? You didn't even think to block the back door." Stepping up from the table the man gestured towards the 'unguarded' door at the back. Jean and Marco were, of course, standing behind the door. "Not that we will need it of course. I think we will leave by the front." Menacingly stepping towards the teenagers the man sneered, his followers quickly getting up behind him. Armin didn't blink. _And they call us novices. We have _earnt _our right to the streets. _

Letting out a piercing whistle Armin watched as the other gang faltered, confused. Then Jean and Marco burst in from behind. The enemies didn't have time to turn. "I think it's you who is outmatched here." Armin stated, blue eyes glowing like fire.

…

Levi stopped on a rooftop, glancing below him. He had been sent to check the gate. Not that it needed checking of course – it was more something to get him out of the way. There had been a meeting where he was not particularly welcome and this had been the higher-ups excuse. Taking in his surroundings Levi angrily realized that he had landed in the poor part of town. It was full of memories, and not ones he was entirely fond of. The Corporal still hated the dirt and firth that oozed from every crevice here.

Hearing a piercing whistle he stopped and looked around. Waiting to see what would happen Levi watched the building across the road from him, where he was pretty sure the sound had come from. There had been a set of five teenagers outside it, and even without experience in the slums he could have picked them as a gang. Most had clothing that was ripped and torn, perhaps from overuse, perhaps from fights. Many had tattoos, mostly on their arms, though one kid seemed to have on around his shoulder as well. The short blond was the one who had whistled, and when his friends arrived he was obviously issuing orders, motioning toward two of his friends to around the back of the building. As the two walked off Levi wondered if he should intervene. By law he was probably obliged to but he didn't care one way or another right now. Of course he would obey orders from Edwin, the man was intelligent and always a few steps ahead when it came to planning. But these kids interested him, and as there were no rules in the Scouting Troop to do with violence on the streets – the Police were supposed to deal with that – the Corporal decided not to interfere.

The blond kid waited a while for his friends to get around the back then slammed his foot into the door. Levi didn't hear anything for a good while. When he did it was a series of thuds and a few very loudly shouted cuss words. A bit later again a set of men, about in their early 20s, were running. One was limping and many seemed injured, though not seriously. Painful but hardly debilitating. _Cowards. _Levi knew enough about life in this part of town to understand what was going on. One street gang had apparently been foolish enough to cross into another's territory and they were paying for it. Sure enough the group of teens reemerged from the building a short while later. They seemed to have fared better than their counterparts, with only a few scratches here and there. The two who had gone around the back of the inn bumped their fists together. Levi noticed for the first time that one had an eye patch, with the mark of a scar underneath it. Whoever these kids were they knew how to handle themselves in the streets, and had been doing so for a while.

He was just about to leave – Levi had no wish to remain in this part of town – when he heard the parting insult that one of the victorious gang yelled.

"Next time you watch the territory you are heading into! We live here!" That didn't surprise Levi. Parting insults were commonplace. It was the answering question and its reply that really got his attention.

"And who might you kids be? Some upstart lot who failed school?"

"We are the Wings of Wrath!" The kid in the brown jacket yelled the words, words ringing as if they truly could take flight. Ringing up to the ears staring soldier . _So the Wings still exist._


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note:**

**Dear anyone wonderful enough to be reading this. Thankyou! **

**I probably wont update for a little because I am getting a new computer and it does not have Word on it yet. Apologies. **

**Also I normally (at least during the summer) write more frequently than I have been. Sorry about that.**

It was only a few days later when a member of the gang, Marco in the case, came rushing to the base, a grin spreading across his face. "You'll never believe this!"

"Believe what?" It was Connie who asked, pulling his black beanie lower around his ears as he did so.

"Apparently ever since Levi became good in the Survey Corps the higher-up military people have been looking for a few more like him! They want people from the underground to join in the military training."

There was silence around the room as those words sank in to the listeners. "We're not going to are we?" It was Armin who asked. For all his authority in battle scenes between gangs the small blond was hardly the leader of the Wings. Instead many faces turned to Mikasa, Jean and Eren. There was no solid leader of the gang but those three who made the decisions. Mostly they disagreed with each other but, just this once, the trio seemed to have a unanimous decision.

"We will help the people against the Titans but we will_ not_ join the military. We aren't going to go die just because an officer commanded us! We have our own pride!" It was Eren who said it, after a small amount of chatter with the other two.

There were a few glances at Jean when this was announced. Once, a few years ago, it was true that the other youth would have protested against helping the other people, wanting just to have the Wings at a safe place. But all had seen the Titans… seen them eat humans alive. It haunted them forever.

So the gang murmured agreement. They would help in their own way. Not as slaves to a military general.

…

Eren grinned. Let the Military Police come. _Hell, let the Survey Corps come. This is our realm, with or without 3D maneuver gear. _There were few who could match the members of the Wings of Wrath when it came to fighting and racing though the slums. It was part of what had originally given the gang their name. Though, rumor was that the gang was also partly named after the Wings of Freedom that the Survey Corps wore. _And we are, in a way. We have not seen the world beyond the walls the way those soldiers do. But we have our pride and our independence, even if it is on the shadier side of the law. _

…

Armin glanced nervously at Eren. He had a small smile on his face, clearly lost in thought. The blond advisor sighed and turned to Mikasa. "They are desperate for good fighters aren't they?"

Mikasa turned to him, expression calm. "Yes. They need people who aren't afraid to fight. Why they have turned to the underground district is unknown."

Armin nodded, thoughtful. _It makes sense given how well Levi turned out. But even down here he was legend. Not everyone can do what he does. Don't they know that? _Then again, knowing the Military Police, they probably didn't know which end of their 3D maneuver gear was which. _Corrupt fools. _The gangs could easily avoid them. Still, they would be frustrating to deal with and people would have to be cautious, especially if-

"Do you think they will come seeking us out?" It was Marco who asked the question, still standing at the entrance.

"If they weren't going to they wouldn't have sent that message. They must really be in trouble to be trying to enlist us."

Across from Armin Jean grinned. _Grinned might be too nice a word. It is more of an evil smirk. _"They won't get us." The words were spoken confident, cocky.

Armin nodded. He was still nervous, but even he had to admit his doubts seemed ill founded here. The military could try and catch them but it would be more trouble than it was worth. Gangs in the slums – The Wings and all the others – were near undefeatable on their home territory.

It was only then that a terrible thought occurred to the blond. _What if they use Levi to track us down? _

…

Levi glared at the people around him. "You want me to help chase down criminals in the slums?" There was little amount of expression in his voice or face and those around him were unsure if he was annoyed or not.

Of course, he was. Though not as much as he expected to be. _Why should I have to return to that place of filth and reckless violence _he growled mentally. But Levi was no fool; he knew the answer;_ because I'm the only one who can hold my own in their territory. _That was all very well but it left one question.

"Why?" His voice was clipped, short and to the point.

Erwin nodded, expecting the question. "Because the Survey Corps need more soldiers. The casualty rates are nearly too high to allow more missions. Fewer and fewer are joining. And, Levi, the underground gives a source of people who are already quick on their feet and skilled. We need to use that resource."

It made sense. Levi gave a small dip of his head, an acceptance of the orders.

It did not mean that he would not feel pain when he went into the city to follow the orders. Levi was loyal to his group in the Survey Corps and would not betray them. But, to lead into the slums, turning against the people he had once lived alongside would not be pleasant. He lit a cigarette, trying to calm his nerves.

_Just criminals. Petty fools out for violence. _Only a fortnight ago the Corporal would have been unhesitating. But, having seen the Wings in action again… he was not sure he could face down the gang that he used to be part of. They had been so young, so full of life and compassion. And all that would leave in the military training.

_Idiot. You know how much we need new troops. And you have always trusted Erwin before. Do not falter now!_

**Frankly I am not sure where this fic's plotline is going; but it is so much fun to write!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I AM SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG! I will update more on the weekend, as this is really short. promise! And thanks to SpringStars for all the encouragement! You are great!**

Levi stood, at the edge of the slums, wrinkling his nose. If anything the smell had gotten worse. _And people wonder why I hate filth. _It wasn't as if the small man didn't have a good reason for it.

_Stop wondering about that. Time to grab a couple of criminals. _The 3D maneuver gear let out a small hiss of steam as the man spun away, a group with short green capes quickly following him

…

That same morning Armin was sitting in the corner discussing something rapidly with Mikasa. The rest of the gang occasionally glanced over but knew better than to interrupt. Getting on the bad side of those two was not good for one's health. The exchange didn't last long at any rate.

Standing Armin looked around him. "We are moving to our other building." Everyone nodded, scrambling. It made sense. The other building that was sometimes used as a base was even more rundown, but it wasn't very well known. And, most importantly, they had begun using it after Levi left.

_He is the main threat _Armin thought, gathering his medical supplies. _The others we could lose in the maze of alleyways._

…

The Corporal glanced around him. He had been given a few soldiers, though not his trusted team. Why was unclear but whatever the reason the short man was not particularly happy about it. He wasn't even sure of these people's names. _Damn you Erwin. What the hell are you thinking? Just because these people are young doesn't mean they will be easy to catch. Do you mind __**not **__giving me a bunch of newbies? _Frowning, Levi began to issue instructions, forcing himself to focus on the task at hand, not think about what he was doing.

Because, if he was perfectly honest with himself going after these kids seemed a lot like betraying a set of old friends, no matter how much he had disliked the slums. It didn't even matter that he had never spoken to them, when it came down to it they were in the same position as he had been. _Focus goddamn it. You never tolerated weakness when it came time to judge criminals and now you want to cushion a street gang of teens? _

…

Eren leaned against the old palings of the building, looking casually around him. At first people had been worried that Armin and Mikasa were being overkill in protection but when the threat of Levi was taken into account everyone agreed. The Wings' home turf was a bit less secure if they were fighting against somebody who knew at least part of it, instead of some high class solider who lived in decent quarters and had never been in a knife fight. It was almost funny how much the Military Police backed off when a knife was pulled on them, never mind the fact that they had long, well-made swords.

Most of the Wings had taken shelter inside, with Eren, Mikasa and Jean on watch. They switched off consistently. Armin had made sure everybody was well hidden. If the Survey Corps really were coming (which seemed more and more possible with every rumor they heard) and Levi himself showed up, the only advantage they would have was hiding away in a place the Corporal didn't know. The last thing they needed was some fool obviously standing guard and attracting the Corp's attention to an otherwise un-noticed building.

Then a small hiss permeated the air. Eren forced himself not to stiffen. _Calm down. If you don't you won't be able to signal properly. _Eren knew that anytime he was stressed he panicked and the signals were sloppily sent. Any other time it wouldn't have been that big a deal, but given what that one hiss could mean… Forcing himself to tap lightly, he drummed out a complex rhythm on the shoddily repaired wall across from him, which was a side of the building the Wings' were taking refuge in. Armin, _as usual, the genius, _had devised this. With how skilled the Survey Corps were a hiss of steam was almost all that could be used to tell the presence of one of the members. So, at the slightest hissing noise the lookouts were to tap a signal to those inside. _And, being the strangest that he is, he made it fit the tempo of a popular folk song. It's good you grew out of your shyness and tell us all your ideas Armin, because if we didn't have you we would all have been caught long ago. _Of course, there was only a limited number of things the Wings' could do, even if the Corps descended on them but it was always better to be ready.

There were no more noises that Eren could hear. He was almost disappointed. Much as he wanted to protect everyone; _where was all this protection coming from, was he spending too much time with Mikasa again?_ He wanted to see the Survey Corps. Tough as he may be that little admiring boy was still in him somewhere.

…

Levi stood, staring around at the now abandoned building. _Maybe the brats have a small piece of sense after all. _The Wings of Wrath's base was vacated, and obviously not too long ago.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi! So I will probably be updating on the weekends from now on as I have school. This chapter is a bit longer than the last one. I never seem to be able to make them longer than 3 word pages so I'm sorry about that. But anyway I hope you like the story! Sasha appears here! :)**

Chapter 5

New information had appeared in the slums. The Survey Corps had actually been spotted. And, what's more, _Levi _was with them.

The news spread like wildfire. Meanwhile the few gangs who had been foolish enough not to go to ground beforehand quickly disappeared into the shadows.

…

Armin crouched, hiding. There had been no other signals after Eren's. He fervently hoped that was good sign but you could never be too careful. Right now he was worried about Sasha, who he had told not to hide, and to just wander around and sometimes come back with information about what was happening. Sasha never looked as serious as the other members of the Wings, and more importantly, never backed down from authority. Which, Armin hoped, would make her seem foolish enough to not be part of a gang. Not that the girl couldn't be serious – she just rarely chose to show it. Even so being out now was not a good idea, for anybody. Armin could only hope that she wasn't recognized.

That was beside the point though. Armin shook his head forcing himself to focus. The girl was more than able to take care of herself – she was stronger than he was. Sasha had just reported back with the word that the Survey Corps – Levi too – had been seen. They were said to have been looking around at where the Wings' base normally was. It made sense – if the gang had been at their base they would have been easily caught, and for Levi finding the base would have been easy. Furthermore, while the Wings of Wrath were not big or cruel enough to be the top group of criminals in the slums they were by no means the weakest there. All in all, if quickly findable they were prime recruitment targets. All that had been predictable – Mikasa had also foreseen it. The part that really bothered the blond strategist, and that his mind kept fixating on, was the rumours of Corporal Levi's short temper and easy ability to hold a grudge. If the man decided to get angry and chase down the Wings they were in serious trouble.

Just then there was a signal from Mikasa. Armin stiffened, and spun around to where the rest of the gang was.

_Enemy Sighted. "_Mikasa's spotted them."

…

Levi stood on a roof, glaring out at the expanse of shabby buildings beneath him. Erwin had told him to track down any of the criminals in the slums, the toughness they would have developed to survive apparently thought to be useful in the wars. However, any of the actually good fighters that might be useful in the ranks were also the ones who were best as what they did; which in this case translated as keeping hidden. _Did you suggest this stupid idea Hanji? It seems like the foolish thing you would come up with. _

The Corporal growled. The most promising case seemed to be the Wings of Wrath, though that was only because he at least vaguely knew the area. _Though if I'm honest with myself I'm mad that they seemed to have anticipated us so easily. _

It was time to start looking for them. He didn't know how much this areas of the Wings' territory had changed but it was time to start looking, basing the search off of how he remembered the area. _In this circumstance I doubt that they are moving around. So the best bet is to simply search for the scum. _Levi curled his lip at the thought. _Scum is probably inaccurate. The Military Police are far worse. At least people in the underground are intelligent. But enough of this. Time to move. _Tearing his gaze away from the dishevelled place he used to live in the Corporal issued instructions.

…

As quickly and quietly as possible the Wings fanned out around the building, everyone in teams of two or three. Even if the soldiers passed them by without noticing it was better to be prepared. This way there was a smaller chance of everyone captured at once. At one point the idea had been to leave in all different directions but as Jean had pointed out all the movement that would suddenly cause would attract attention. It wasn't as if the slums were suddenly empty of people now that the area was being searched for criminals but a lot of the more violent activity had died down as the gangs hid. A bunch of teens, many carrying knives or other weapons, and with similar tattoos would have attracted attention. _Apparently that fool is intelligent sometimes. _

Eren grinned, looking at Mikasa and Armin. The three worked at their best in this trio, the same group they had been in as children. They all trusted each other and functioned well, knowing how the other was going to react. _And people say Levi's group in the Survey Corps are the best at working in one cohesive unit. _To tell the truth Eren had admired Levi at one point. When he was young, before the titans attacked his home, he had gone every time the soldiers returned from missions beyond the wall, admiring their courage. _So much for that now. _It wasn't that Eren didn't still respect the military for what they did. But that respect wasn't going to stop him from fighting them if they tried to hurt anybody he held dear or to capture a single person in the gang.

That was when he saw it. A flash of green on a rooftop. Since Mikasa had signalled they hadn't seen a single solider. But now he saw another movement on the roof, this time a woman came into view, jogging across the rooftops for a few strides before activating her gear and slowly arcing across the road, obviously scanning the surrounding as she went. _How is she going so slowly? Maybe it has something to do with using less gas. _Normally he would have asked Armin but now was hardly the time. A moment or so later there was the hissing sound of gas directly above them. The woman was still a few hoses away from them so apparently there were multiple. _Fool, of course there are multiple. If they find a gang they are going to need teamwork to try and capture anyone so it wouldn't make sense just too all spread out _Then Eren looked up and at the roof. _Dammit, at time like this a roof without holes would be appreciated. _He knew it was a small chance, but the possibility that someone might look down and see them…

…

Levi was getting angry. They had been at this for over an hour, searching and looking without any _sign of the gangs. To make it worse many of the places were in disrepair so using the maneuver gear was dangerous as the hooks sometimes couldn't find a decent place to grip. He glanced_ across at his team of newbies and bit back a huff of annoyance. They hadn't found anything, and he was sure that they had probably gone over at least one hiding spot. _This is pathetic. I was well known here and yet suddenly I can't find a single bunch of wretched stealing teenagers? _"Come over here." Levi called, deciding that they should probably start looking somewhere else. All that they seemed to find here were normal people, and few of them too. Even those not involved in the illegal acts of the underground seemed to have become scarce.

His group landed around him, one barely missing a hole in the structure's dilapidated excuse for roof. At that point however Levi was suddenly scanning the area. He wasn't sure what it was but… there. A girl with long brown hair and a ridiculous smile was walking over towards the building. She noticed them and waved, which made Levi arc an eyebrow in disbelief. _We are here to force people to recruit and she doesn't care? _The girl then started whistling a jaunty strain of folk music, heading into the building.

_Does she really not care about anything?_

…

Sasha was enjoying herself until she saw the green caped figures standing on top of the house. It was too late to change her course, they had already seen where she was headed. Turning away now would seem too suspicious. _This cannot be happening. _Making herself still seem as carefree as she was minutes ago Sasha flung her hair behind her and waved. The shortest on of the soldiers gave her a glare that rivalled Mikasa's when she was angry. Sasha grinned again, this time for real. No matter how dangerous it was she always enjoying annoying authority.

_Now, what the heck do I do? _They didn't seem to have found out about the gang that was in the shadows around the building and underneath them. _Well so much for Survey Corps intelligence. _Suddenly remembering Sasha whistled the alert. Not that the Wings weren't clearly already on alert but it gave her something to do and added to the act.

_That's what I'll do. _Getting an idea, albeit it a fool hardy one, Sasha stepped forward. _Come on Armin, go with it. _"Hey Armin! You coming or not? You said you'd meet me today!" It was a wild chance but maybe Armin would go with it. Otherwise they were all screwed. There was a small hesitation and then the short blond teen appeared, holding his skateboard, the tattered hood of his sleeveless green jacket over his head, ice blue eyes glaring at her. Glaring at her but going with the makeshift story. _Thank God. _Armin was keeping his left arm in front him, keeping the tattoo on the side facing away from the soldiers on the roof. Officially the Wings of Wrath didn't have a tattoo but most had somehow ended up with ones that had either the same or very similar patterns, making it rather distinctive. There was nothing he could do to hide the one on his right shoulder though. That didn't seem to matter however, as the second Armin stepped into view the short man on top of the roof shouted something that she couldn't quite make out. But suddenly all of the soldiers were descending around the house, around Armin, and around herself. _What the hell went wrong? _Sasha screeched in her mind, while yanking out a knife.

…

Levi froze for only a millisecond when the teen appeared before shouting orders. The Corporal didn't need to look twice to remember who this kid was. The jacket with no sleeves, the ripped jeans, the skateboard – it was the kid that he had seen directing the other that day. Which means that they had just found the Wings of Wrath. The girl had clearly been trying to think something up without giving away what was happening. _Foolish brat. _

Then chaos erupted. Suddenly there were gang members everywhere, all clearly working in subunits of about two or three each. And all very effectively. _You may have a point Hanji. These kids might actually live past a battle on the field. _Landing on the ground Levi spun, whipping out his swords.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Sorry this is a Monday, my family took a mini-road trip so no computer. Anyway hope you like the chapter! **

Chapter 6

Levi was slightly surprised in spite of himself. Sure he expected the street kids to put up a decent fight – he of all people knew the brutality of the streets. But these were young teens, who had weapons only a little longer than normal knives. Against the long reach of the Survey Corps swords the brats should have been forced into surrender. Instead the kids ducked around the shambling building, in and out of tiny spaces. The swords often sliced though material that the teens hid behind but it created a lot of confusion. _They've planned for this. Either that or they are used to fighting people more skilled then themselves. _The Corporal suspected it was a bit of both. That was when he noticed that there seemed to be less people around.

Cold fury edged the short man's gaze as he realized what was happening. In all the confusion that was occurring the gang was starting to slip away, people darting into alleyways. _Over a third of them have gone already. _Lashing out to his left then right Levi started to spin, firing his maneuver gear to dart him around. The man could feel a smirk tugging at his mouth as he watched the young gang members scamper away from him. His team, rookies though they may be, seemed to notice what he was doing and started to gather in a wide arc, hemming the Wings in.

It didn't take long for one of the teens to notice what was happening. The blond, who was still holding his skateboard - which now bore the marks of swords strokes across it - suddenly began shouting out instructions. Levi didn't catch all of it but it clearly referenced forming groups. The gang, who had become more scattered then at the beginning of the fight, melted back on to the groups of two and three that had been at the beginning.

Levi could see the other soldiers doing a double take. There were only five of the thieves left. But, looking at them, Levi could tell that they weren't what his team probably thought they were. These teens weren't the slowest in the pack, who had trouble getting away. They all held themselves with pride that suggested of skill. No, these were the ones that were skilled enough to allow the others to get out, creating the confusion under which their friends escaped.

_And, if we catch them, the prime targets for enlistment. _The most skilled were right here. _And don't think you're getting away now. _

…

Eren gasped for breath. The techniques that the Wings had used against other gangs in ad situations had been surprisingly successful. The only thing that seemed to be a problem was causing the distractions. Normally everyone could take care of themselves but… well the Survey Corps were a bit harder to handle than most. So Armin got the main five to cover the rest. It worked perfectly of course, until Levi started spinning. Eren had been shocked at the man's eyes. While Eren himself was known for going into a wild raging anger – it had taken years on the streets to calm that down until he could at least partially focus it – Levi's gaze seemed cold and lifeless. _Is that what the army does? Or is that just him. _Either way it didn't matter now. Wondering about your opponent's looks was hardly the best way to win a fight. Armin then began to take charge. The remaining five were, of course, Jean, Marco, Mikasa, Armin and himself. And though Armin was terrible at attacking – he barley defended himself with his board – if the blond thought of a way out of a situation it rarely failed.

Eren couldn't help it. He had always had a bit of pride. Grinning the teen met Levi's eyes. He knew he didn't have to say anything to the soldier; the cocky grin was more than enough to state a challenge. And it only got bigger when he heard the Corporal hiss "Damn brat."

…

Normally Armin would roll his eyes at Eren's antics, challenging Levi so blatantly. Right now though it was useful. Turning to Mikasa Armin whispered "Do you have the gear?"

Mikasa nodded. "Of course." At the angle the girl was standing hopefully none of the soldiers had seen the maneuver gear in her hand. Quickly strapping it on Mikasa stepped to the side more, behind Armin. He hoped the soldiers didn't notice. _Surprise is one of the only advantages we have. _

During the fight Armin had had Sasha grab one of the soldier's maneuver gear. It had resulted in a lot of swearwords from the caped man they had taken it from. However, assuming the gang would have broken it the soldier had just attacked, scared now he was stuck on the ground, unable to soar away if the situation got out of hand.

_Of course we didn't destroy it. How stupid do they think we are? _As whoever got the maneuver gear had to be able to use effectively almost at once Armin had handed it to Mikasa in the confusion. Hopefully Eren wouldn't be too indignant. But Mikasa had always had more balance than Eren, even if only by a fraction. _More importantly however, Mikasa never loses her temper. _Admitted Eren hadn't really lost his temper for over a year now. Being a criminal required a clear head and so the brown –haired boy had learnt how to control his emotions. But after seeing Levi in action Armin knew that even a small slip of concentration would lead to downfall. _And with Mikasa rage just helps her focus. _Armin was relatively sure that was not normal, but it was certainly an advantage here.

Levi's attention had flicked away from Eren already. Honestly, Armin was surprised his friend had held the short man's attention for as long as he had. Glancing at Mikasa Armin saw that she was ready.

"Wings of Wrath attack!" _Hardly sophisticated, but hey, it works. _

…

The blond's voice carried a surprising amount of authority. _Cliché though. _That was when Levi's attention was side-tracked. Because the girl had just flown –no. Somehow during the fight she had grabbed some 3D maneuver gear. Glancing at his own the Corporal saw one man on foot, with no gear. _How the hell did they even get it off him? _

The girl was, sensibly, staying low, among her friends. _She knows that the second she come too high we can pounce on her. _Also, Levi noticed, the girl was starting to get the hang of moving with the gear. _You may have a point Hanji. This girl is certainly skilled enough to be of use. _Of course, that didn't make it easier to catch her. Meanwhile the soldiers with him were having a hard time keeping up with the teens that were attacking them. It seemed that the fight was going for real now, and with those knives an injury would be very nasty. Levi blocked out the part of his mind that said an injury from a titan- killing sword could possibly be worse. He also blocked out the part that was screeching about how he used to be one of these kids.

He had ignored it from the start of the mission, why would he listen to it now? _Focus. _

…

Jean smirked at the solider in front of him. Honestly, who would have thought that the metal pole he always carried would be able to be used against swords. _Soldiers too. _Weren't they trained for this? Or was it just the military police? Jean remembered a time when he had wanted to sneak into the centre of the city, where it was safe. Also, given only the military police worked there it would be easy to hide. He had given up the idea when he met Marco. The guy's whole family had been killed by titans and yet he didn't run. Who was Jean to flee even though he'd only glimpsed one?

On a moral level the thief supposed he admired the Survey Corps for that. They never stopped fighting. But that didn't give them the right to come in here and force others to join them. _We have enough of our own problems. Who gave you stuck up fools the idea that only you had problems to deal with? _

He was jerked out of the thoughts by the sight of Mikasa. She was darting around, the hiss of steam accompanying her movements. There was 3D maneuver gear on her and she had both her knives out, slicing lines into the air, and any soldier who got to close. It was strange. The style was similar to that of the military – there are only so many ways to move with that sort of gear after all – but Mikasa darted from place to place with far more confidence than the Survey Corps. _They can't be used to fighting in a place where the surroundings are unstable. _And while the knives had none of the reach of the soldier's swords Mikasa blocked effortlessly. Her tattered scarf trailed out behind her like a banner, the rips in her sleeves flying around her arms.

Creating the illusion of wings.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys I am soooo sorry! I have been swamped with schoolwork and we also had a bunch of guests over. To anyone great enough to read this my apologies. The coming weekend should be better so I will 100% upload then. I was at least able to finish this chapter though. I really hope you like it and thanks again if you are reading! :)**

Chapter 7

Sasha stopped, grabbing Connie's hand. The two had been running away from the fight but they were far enough away to be safe now. And Sasha was getting worried. By now everybody should have gotten away. The plan had been to scatter for a day and regroup at the original base the next day if the military had found them – which, blast everything, they had.

So, all in all, the gang should have dissipated into the shadows by now. But if she listened closely Sasha could hear the faint shouts of fighting still. – With less people around the sounds carried further.

His momentum halted Connie glanced back at her curiously. Then he too heard the noise. "They should have gotten away by now!" He growled, spinning around.

Sasha nodded. "There's been a problem. We're heading back." The pair darted back along the crumbling alleyways, heading back towards their friends.

…

Armin glanced across at Mikasa as he dodged yet another attack. The soldiers seemed to have figured out some way in which to move their swords freely in the limited space, the blond still wasn't quite sure how. _That is not the point right now. _Mikasa was clearly getting angrier at those around her, attack more often now. But her cold fury was cut short each time by Levi, whose rapid counterattacks forced the girl to retreat. _We need some sort of confusion. No way will we win a fight. _It wasn't that the teens weren't capable. They could all hold their own, though maybe not with the same level of skill as the military recruits. But the weapons the Wings wielded were far inferior. The heavy pole that Jean carried was beginning to look bent from blocking the swords. Amin's skateboards that he had been using as a shield was fragmented in areas. He was feeling very grateful that he had reinforced the plastic with metal. Even the good daggers they had were no much use – none of it could match the reach that the huge swords had.

Lost in thought Armin let out a short cry of surprise as an enemy bore down upon him. Eren shoved him out of the way, quickly blocking the swordsman.

Then everything went wrong, very, very rapidly.

…

The girl was already retreating again. Levi assessed the situation with a growing amount of frustration. These kids would be easy to kill – but capturing them alive and relatively unharmed was an entirely different matter. Then he saw an opening. The short blond teen had become distracted and the other criminal had quickly defended him. However in that position they were open to an attack from behind. Levi smirked. _Be more careful next time. _Spinning, swords carving through the air around him, the Corporal rushed in.

To his credit the blond kid did notice, and tried to defend. But a well-placed kick sent the skateboard-shield rocketing out of his hands. Another twirl and slash and the boy was rapidly stumbling away, only just missing receiving a gash from Levi's right sword. Panic in his eyes the gang member called out "Mikasa! Eren!" _Mikasa is presumably the girl, but Eren… _

The solider didn't have to wonder. The brown-haired teen who had been defending the strategist rapidly turned around, desperately trying to disengage from the soldier he was occupied with and come to his friend's aid. _So it is the fool who challenged me. _ The girl also reacted instantly, flipping mid-air to turn around and came flying across the space, a strange calm fury in her eyes. Both of them stopped instantly. Levi was no fool, after all. His sword was over the fallen boy's neck. _About time too. _"Drop your weapons. Now."

The other two criminals had still been fighting, but both stopped, noticing that their friends were no longer beside them. When the saw the blond brat their eyes widened in panic. The Corporal noticed the kid with the eye patch tighten his hold in his blade. "I said DROP IT." Raising his voice Levi made eye contact with the five remaining Wings members. Then, slowly the weapons were lowered. First the eye patch and bond haired two. Then the girl, -_Mikasa was what she was called-_ with a hiss of steam, landed on the ground. Glaring the whole time at the soldiers she set her two knives on the ground. At about the same moment the brown haired teen burst into violent movement. He stepped back, twisting toward the Survey Corps member behind him, slicing viciously at the man's arm, with another, smaller knife suddenly appearing from his dilapidated brown jacket. It was clear that he mean to take his opponent hostage. It would have worked – but the solider quickly used his 3D maneuver gear and shot up, backwards and up again, before changing direction and, ultimately, landing on the other side of the gang member and grabbing him from behind. _Always remember the gear. _

Levi grimaced remembering when almost the exact same maneuver had been used on one of his own friends, back when he lived in these streets. _The gear is too fast to dodge if you don't have some of your own. _Shocked the Corporal scolded himself. _Stop sympathizing with the brats! Since when have you ever cared much about the recruits – which is exactly who these people now are._ It was true that, despite his actions, Levi did care about the lives of others. But that should not extend to being emotional about capturing a few criminals, even if they were part of his old gang.

…

Armin watched, horrified, as the Wings were rapidly beaten. Eren's move had been predictable, though Armin had been worried about his friend forgetting about the soldier's maneuver gear – which the other teen had. Feeling panic swell up inside him the blond quickly shut his eyes, forcing down the feeling. This was how he had felt when the titans attacked and he had been utterly useless then. _My friends need me now. _A moment later, now able to think rationally Armin opened his eyes. He looked around ._Not good. _

Eren was being held from behind, and the rest of the group had dropped their weapons when Levi brought a sword to his neck. Glancing at the face of the man who held him prisoner Armin wasn't sure what emotions he saw there. _He's not as easy to read as Mikasa. _Suddenly Armin was hit by a flash of desperation. He was no longer afraid of communicating his point to those around him, and he had even come to terms with the threat of titans around him. But, having his friends in danger was one thing that still left Armin cold with fear. So, before Levi could issue any orders Armin spoke up. "Let us negotiate."

The grey eyes flicked to him, betraying no emotion. "No. You are coming with us. Clearly you fools heard about why, or else you wouldn't have been in hiding."

_Well, at least he replied. _"And I think we can come to a middle ground." Armin sounded far more confided than he actually was, which was reliving. _Maybe I actually have a chance at this._

"Such as?" The Corporal asked. The voice was still relatively emotionless but the bond got the distinct impression he was being mocked. "You are being recruited to help the Survey Corp because we are low on numbers. From now on you will spend you time training against monsters instead of stealing. That should not be too hard to go into your thick skull."

Armin hesitated, realized that he wasn't sure how to proceed from here. To his complete surprise, Eren saved him.

Growling the trapped gang member turned his head to face Levi. "What, you think we don't try to deal with Titans as best we can? The Wings have helped countless families when their sister, mothers, fathers, sons or daughters have been killed in battle with Titans. We have helped provide food for them when they had no one! And when the Titans attacked earlier we helped civilians evacuate the area! If you want us to help, you don't need to force us! We already are!" The last words were shouted, and Armin could tell that Eren was having trouble keeping his temper in place.

"Eren-"

He was cut off by Mikasa, who quickly joined in. "But don't think for a moment that if you recruit us we won't steal as much 3D maneuver gear as possible and make a run for it. If you want any of us to be useful then _let us go." _The last words snapped her tone out of the calm voice and into one with far more emotion.

Jean and Marco nodded their assent. "We have helped countless citizens against the Titans, not to mention stopping other gangs from stealing all of the 3D maneuver gear from the warehouses when the military police aren't looking." Marco added. This seemed to sway the soldiers more and Armin caught several unsure glances between them, even though he wasn't sure mentioning the 3Dmanuver gear was a good idea. _No need to tell them how we were actually planning on grabbing a few sets ourselves._

Armin looked over and Levi once more. The Corporal gave him what looked almost like a smirk and shook his head. "Nice try brats. No."

Just then Armin heard an all too familiar voice. "Take them and you have to take us to." From his position Armin could only see part of her as the girl – accompanied by Connie, stepped out from the shadows. Then, suddenly about a dozen people seemed to be appearing around them.

…

Sasha stepped forward. It hadn't taken too long for she and Connie to find the others. When they had heard the sound of fighting everyone had turned back. So, as a result every single other person in the Wings of Wrath was stepping out of the alleyways.

Connie had pointed out that it was useless – none of them would attack, for fear of Armin being hurt. Sasha had said simply that she didn't care.

Levi raised an eyebrow. "We will you know. So I don't see why you bother coming back. Your gang's finished, being taken along with the leaders won't help you any. Foolish loyalty."

"If you think so then you have forgotten everything that the Wings of Wrath sand for!" Sasha shouted, furious.

It was Connie who added the last word. _"Traitor."_

…

Levi didn't move. _Don't show them. _And he didn't. His facial expression didn't change. Only Armin was close enough to see the calm in his eyes shatter and the pain well up beneath.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! Thanks to any who read this. **

Chapter 8

Armin's eyes widened. _He really feels anything about the old gang? _

…

Levi saw the captured teen's eyes widen and knew that he had shown some sort of emotion. Glaring at the brat he focused his attention at the newly appeared gang members.

"I don't give a damn. You are all coming with us." His tone was frigid.

_Thank god._

…

Erwin stood, staring at the teens before him. All of them were handcuffed, and a circle of soldiers wrapped around the gang, cutting off all paths of escape. "Did you catch anyone else?" The tall man asked, tuning to Levi.

"We probably could of, but it needed all of us to get them here. We can go back another time if this experiment works."

"Fair enoug-"

The words were cut off by a shout; "We aren't just some experiment for you! We have our own place and that is _not _in the stupid military!" The outburst was voiced by boy, with scruffy brown hair and eyes the seemed to burn with caged rage.

Levi was already striding across the room. _Predictable. _"Stop Levi." Erwin said, the authority of command underlining the statement. The short man halted, though annoyance radiated around him. "What's your name?" The Commander asked, turning to toward the boy in question.

"Eren."

"Last name?"

"Why should it matter?" The teen hissed. "Nobody cared about my parents when Shiganshina's walls came tumbling down!" "Eren! Calm down. " One of the captured girls, with raven black hair down to her shoulders, uttered it, looking anxiously at her friend. At the words the named teen let out a small growl of frustration. Then, to Erwin's surprise, the young man closed his eyes, tuning out the world. It lasted about a minute, but once those eyes opened the Commander saw little of the fire remaining, and the small flame that lingered was controlled. _I didn't think he would have that much self-control. _

Again the black haired girl spoke up. "He is Eren Yeager. I'm Mikasa, and that's Armin." She added, nodding toward a short, blond boy with a sleeveless jacket. After the three names were given Mikasa stopped, clearly done with introductions.

Yeager? Erwin recalled that name. It was the surname of a man who had been studying titans as the time of the attack on Shiganshina. Hanji had been devastated, as apparently the man had been about to make a breaking discovery in how titans formed. However, the tale was supposedly one of the many tragedies of Shiganshina, with the family thought to be all dead. _Apparently not. _

"I trust you all know why you are here. The Survey Corps are running low on recruits right now. You are some of the best in the underground, at for that reason have been chosen to be trained as soldiers. The training will start tomorrow. You will be kept under guard at all times. As far as I am concerned this matter is not particularly complicated. There will be an assigned leader to your group to keep everybody in check."

Levi added the last piece, the one part of the agreement that Hanji had been unsure of. "Lastly, you will all be expected to dedicate yourselves to this. Anyone slacking off, trying to escape, sabotaging missions or trying to steal will be handed over to the Military Police."

Commander Erwin nodded crisply. "Any questions or statements that are not a demand for freedom?"

This time teen who had been introduced as Armin spoke up. "You said no requests for freedom sir. However, I think that there is a legitimate reason to mention that. Out gang has been helping civilians who have been attacked by titans or lost family members for a long time. We are all criminals, that is certainly true, but we have hardly led the stereotypical lives of street thugs, being a burden on society. We have helped stop thieves from breaking in and stealing military gear. Many refugees were helped by the Wings of Wrath during different titan attacks. That is how Mikasa, Eren and I ended up here. Many of us have helped the Survey Corps from behind the scenes. Are you sure that we aren't more useful to you where we are?" The words were spoken with a not entirely calm voice, but the teen was clearly trying, and his arguments had some merit.

However, Erwin looked sceptically down at the thief. "Give me one good reason to trust that anything you say is true."

…

Armin felt his pulse quicken. He had been trying desperately, hoping to appeal to the man. What the strategist had never expected was to be taken seriously. _What now? What can I say that will convince him? _

"The brat is speaking the truth Erwin."

Armin stared in shock. Levi was looking at the Commander calmly, and there was no doubt that he had spoken the words but… _Why would he help us now? _Then Armin remembered the look in the Corporal's face when Connie had called him a traitor. There had been a small pause in man's expression as he realized what the word meant and then pain had shattered his gaze. _Does he actually feel… guilty?_

After a brief hesitation Erwin gave a nod of acknowledgement, then turned back to Armin. "Convince me."

Gathering his thoughts Armin began speaking again. "We can start watching the walls more from now on if that is a concern. If we are not in the military there is a freedom to out movements that you do not have. It is fairly easy to sound the alarm after all, solider or not. Also, I know it is not part of what the Survey Corps do but I believe that the comfort and support we offer to affected families in needed. Anytime titans attack society all morals crumble and it becomes each person for themselves. Soldiers often can do little to stop this as they have to fight of the actual threat. However, we can work in the crowds, directing and calming the panic from within, without causing more fuss than needed."

…

Erwin paused, no longer entirely sure of his intended dismissal of the subject. All of the points the boy made were valid but at the same time what the Survey Corps really needed were people out fighting titans. "Hold them here. I'm going to discuss this with the others." The man said at last, gesturing to Levi to take over.

…

When Erwin at last came back, the answer was mixed. _Whoever he was talking to must have had varied opinions, because he chose part of each option. _The Commander turned, focusing his attention on Armin, know that all the other gang members would be listening. _After all, this decides our fate. _

"You will all be trained by the Corps for a month. That in not negotiable. However, when that time is over we will release you. When you leave the gang will be fitted with a special, lighter weight version of the 3D maneuver gear all military personal carry. Every single person will also be equipped with the swords used for killing titans. How you disguise these to blend into in the underground is your own decision and problem. Anytime the Survey Corps goes out on a mission we will no longer leave twenty people behind to guard the city. The number will now be only five. You criminals are to guard the city and compensate for rest of the soldiers. During that time you will take on the duty Survey Corps soldiers."

Armin wasn't sure how to respond. _We didn't get everything we wanted but… it is far better then what could have happened. _

That was when he noticed Jean, Mikasa, Eren and Marco whispering, clearly deciding what to do. A small wave of relief washed over Armin. _Whatever the decision at least it is one thing I will not be responsible for alone. I got us this far, you guys decide now. _After about five minutes of heated discussion Jean turned around.

"We accept." The words were spoken harshly, almost like an insult. Armin winced in sympathy. Like Eren, Jean had a lot of pride. _Bear with it. Give it a few months and I can get us out of this. _Armin had no intention of letting his beloved friends be ruled by the army.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! I didn't have time to proofread this chapter much, so apologies if there are a lot off errors. Also I won't be also to upload next weekend. :) Also I probably made Levi a bit OOC at the end of the chapter. Sorry about that. **

Chapter 9

It was the last two days of the month of training. Levi stood, leaning against a post and watching the criminals. It was the midday and lunch time, so all the trainees were eating and chatting. The Wings of Wrath sat separately from the rest of the soldiers, refusing to mingle. _They're even tighter knit than when I left. _

Levi wasn't sure if that was a good thing. It was true that the strongest part of the Survey Corps was that each subgroup trusted and relied on each other. However he had seen whole teams fall apart into useless inactive grief when a member died. _It is good to care about others. But on the field when somebody dies you have to keep on fighting. Save the grief for later. _And the Corporal sincerely doubted these teens would do that. If titans attacked and one of the gang died he had no idea how they would react.

"Are you actually concerned about them Levi?" Hanji had walked up beside him.

"Says the one who cares about titans' feelings." He shot back, though quickly realized his mistake as the statement could be interpreted as an affirmative. _And, knowing Hanji, it will be. _

"So you do care!" _Predictable. _

The friendly banter continued for a while, with Hanji teasing Levi repeatedly about being worried for the teens and the short man consistently denying the fact. The Corporal's replies were getting shorter each time, though his face betrayed his amusement, eyes twinkling in the light.

…

Armin watched the pair of soldiers. _They should be more careful. _Armin had always hated the idea of manipulating or forcing people. But he knew many gang members had no such principles. _If it was any other group they had captured all the friendships here would already have been manipulated. I thought the Survey Corps better than this. _It was so simple – a few threats when they escaped and the Corps would never bother them again. _Maybe I will mention that to them before we leave tomorrow. _

Armin smirked. It would be good to send a warning that the teens were less helpless than they seemed, even if he would never follow through on the threat hidden behind the advice. The whole month the trainers in the military had looked down upon the Wings, no matter how many times the gang members proved their skill. And the Wings' had a lot of pride. _Well that is what we get for holding back_.

…

Eren growled in frustration. He had never before thought Armin's ideas foolish but this one came close. _We showed our abilities in the fight with Levi! Why do we need to hold back and act like weaklings now? _

It would be good to settle back into the streets and the slums world of criminals. Eren was at home there. After so long in the rough, coarse atmosphere the false civility possessed by many of the military was foreign and unwelcome to the teen. _I don't know if that is good or not. _Eren mentally shrugged. _I am how I am. If people want to get mad about it blame the lack of support for refugees after the titan attack. _

On the subject of which Eren was glad Armin had told them there was a way out of this contract with the Survey Corps. He couldn't stand his friends being forced to help an organization. _We would have probably been far more cooperative if they hadn't forced us. As it is, of course we are going to rebel._

…

Armin inspected thee weapons that the Wings had been given. It was after lunch, and the group had just been presented with the lightweight versions of the titan-killing swords that they would take back with them. The blades were still the same length – _They need to be if we actually fight the giants with them – _but were far more lightweight than the normal ones, not to mention thinner. Each member was also only equipped with two, instead of the military's standard four. The swords had no large metal casings, as that would stand out too much in the underground. How the teens sheathed and carried the swords was, apparently, their own problem.

The 3D gear was far more adapted and Armin couldn't help be impressed. It was not as bulky as the original version. The harness was also clear, not black, and could easily be hidden under clothes or by loose garments. The sides of the 3D gear were also made to wrap around the sides of a person's waist, making them easier to wear. _Must have taken a while to adapt it that much, given all the military have the same version. _

The part that Armin didn't like was the small amount of fuel the machines ran off of. _We'll run out of that very quickly. _As if reading him mind Levi spoke up.

"You will all be given one container of gas. More will be distributed if the Corps go out on a mission, but for now that should limit the amount you brats can use the gear."

Armin's eyes narrowed. _We'll see about that. _

…

At last it was the time for departure. Eren glanced at his friends. None of them had quite adapted to carrying the military's swords yet. _ Well not in a way that hides the fact that we have them. _He still didn't understand why the Wings had to hide the fact that they had been taken by the Survey Corps. _The while Underground will know by now. And sure, it might have hurt our reputation in the slums but how is that the soldiers' business?_

"We'll send you a message anytime we go out on a mission. You will all be expected to respond to our headquarters. Let it be known that there will be sever consequences if you do not." Erwin was issuing the last set of instructions.

Eren had to force himself to not snap back. _Don't you dear threaten us. _The teen had had enough of holding back his emotions and anger around the arrogant Corps. The only thing that had kept him – and most of the Wings – obedient during their training was Armin's promise that he could pay back the Survey Corps.

_You better have thought up something very good my friend. _

…

Two hours later Armin stood, addressing the gang. Everybody was grinning. The blond strategist looked across at his brown-haired friend.

_That good enough for you Eren?_

…

Levi stared at the carnage. The whole training ground had been set alight. How the fools had kept the fire from spreading to the dormitories was a mystery, but the damage here was big enough to cost most or the Corps' funds to rebuild. The classrooms had all been scorched and the equipment inside them ruined, and multiple buildings had collapsed. The maneuver gear storage area had been ransacked. All the spare parts and gas containers for the special gang equipment taken. _At least brats left the other equipment. _All of the food storages had also been raided, with all of the easily portable goods taken.

The main trainer for the Wings had also found his uniform torn in two, as well as his money taken. _I warned him that taunting them was a bad idea. _The Corporal frowned. _Careful Levi, you're not on supposed to be on the criminals' side here. _

Erwin's office had been completely untouched, save of a note on the desk –

**We'll help in our own way. Not yours.**

**-Wings of Wrath**

Levi wrinkled his nose. _Cliché and overly dramatic. Honestly Armin I thought you would to better than that. _


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi! Hope you like the chapter :)**

**I dunno if this will be the last chapter. At any rate, thanks to all who read this! **

Chapter 10

Eren couldn't stop grinning. Even Mikasa looked pleased with their work.

Armin nodded, satisfied with the Wings destructive visit on the Survey Corps. "That should send a rather clear message."

Jean smirked before sarcastically commenting; "No, we're fools remember? Just little street rats who don't know tactics and don't deserve a place in the Corps."

Those were word the instructors had all too often said to the young vagrants, sneering as the teens trained. Apparently they thought that training the Wings was a foolish idea, and that the criminals should have been handed over to the military police. _You'd think they would have learnt from how good Levi became. _

…

Erwin was worried. It had been nearly two months since the Wings of Wrath disastrous departure, and the Survey Corps were in trouble. They had had most of the damage cleared up and either entirely or partially rebuilt. But the higher-ups were angry at the large amount of money suddenly needed by the Survey Corps, and were demanding new results, which meant another expedition had to be launched. But in its current state the Corps couldn't afford to leave more than about ten members behind. And if a titan attack occurred ten were far too few to guard the walls.

Hanji jolted him out of his thoughts. "Trust the Wings."

"They clearly want no part in this Hanji. Their message was clear enough."

The woman smiled. "No. They said they would help. And in our current predicament we don't have a lot of choice. Trust them."

Levi decided the matter. "They'll help." Erwin looked over at the short man, slightly startled. "They just didn't like being forced to."

…

Jean stood in the shadows of one of the buildings, watching. The Survey Corps were parading down the street, crowds cheering. _Less than half will return. _Of all the statistics he had learnt while in training that one had stuck in his mind. Glancing across at Marco, Jean could see his friend thinking the same thing. _How can they go out there, knowing their chances of death? _

_And, more importantly, are we going to help? _Armin still seemed undecided. Two days ago, in the hideout the Wings had been captured in, a paper from the Survey Corps had appeared, with instructions for guarding the city walls. _After all we did they are still arrogant enough to think that we will just come at Erwin's call? _

"We should help them." Marco said quietly, watching the horses parade by.

_Since when did they earn your loyalty Marco?_ It was true that Marco was one of the kindest in the gang, but since the incident with his eye, when he started wearing the eye patch, the dark haired youth had become far less trusting. "You do remember all the threats they kept making throughout training don't you? Why should we answer to them after all that?" Jean asked.

"Because they are trying to help all of us Jean. Even if they go about some things the wrong way, they deserve some support from us. After all, even with all the threats they gave, the soldiers haven't followed up on a single one."

A sigh sounded behind the pair. Spinning, Jean noticed that Armin had walked up behind them. The strategist was holding his battered skateboard, with the hood on his sleeveless Jacket pulled up. Armin's blue eyes gazed past his friends, focused on the military walking through the gate. "Surprisingly, that seems to be the overall opinion."

"Mine or Marco's?"

"Marco's. We'll meet on the wall tomorrow I guess." Armin sighed again. "Eren is not going to like this."

…

Eren hated the idea. "After everything they said to us we are going to _help _them?"

"Yes." Mikasa glared at her foster sibling, her tone preventing any more outbursts. "We have been over the reasons already Eren. And I don't care what your opinion is on it, nearly all of the rest of the Wings have agreed. And we are not going to split up now. You are part of the gang and you will come with the rest of us."

_And Mikasa wonders why Eren sometimes teases her for being a 'mother hen'. She sounds like mother scolding misbehaving child. _

After a short pause Eren gave in, as was inevitable. Armin had watched the two grow up, and Eren had never once won an argument. "Fine."

Armin let out a small snort of amusement. _When will you learn not to argue with your sister Eren? You never win._

…

It had been decided that the Wings wouldn't go up on the wall every day, but for the first day after the Corps left, the teens had to make an appearance to make it clear that they would be participating in the guard. Armin said he would figure out an alternating schedule for patrols for days after that, as well as a communication system between those on the wall and down below.

…

Eren's anger dissipated slightly when he arrived on the wall. The Wings had decided not to go up the normal way, and instead, drew their swords, put on the maneuver gear and flew up the wall.

People's reaction to a street gang suddenly whipping out military swords was entertaining. The reactions only became more amusing when said gang members began rapidly ascending the wall, with the mostly hidden 3D maneuver gear suddenly being revealed.

That was nothing compared to the guards on the wall. Eren and Mikasa landed on the wall at the same time, with Armin a fraction of a second behind them. The rest of the Wings followed within seconds. The guard that had been standing watch for titans whirled around. And though the man tried to hide it, his disbelief and shock was clear. _Okay, maybe this wasn't such a bad idea. _

…

Armin smirked. "Hello Instructor."

The man stared at him. "You're traitors. You half destroyed us."

"I don't recall asking to become part of the Survey Corps. And didn't you read the note? We said we'd help. Just don't expect obedience from a band of criminals. We don't answer to you. We answer to ourselves, not some high-ranking military official." Turning to the Wings Armin gestured to Mikasa. "You're in charge for now. I'm going to figure out how the rotations of watch and the communications will work."

Mikasa nodded, quickly organizing everybody. Smiling, the blond strategist turned and sat down at the edge of the wall, tuning out the others and trying to figure out how he would manage communications over such a large distance.

About ten minutes later the guard walked over to the crouched, thinking figure. "You won't be able to devise communications from the wall to the ground. Many people have tried – it can't be done."

Armin didn't even glance up. "You said people from the underground would never be worthy of the military gear or be smart enough to use it. I can tell you now that Jean, Eren and Mikasa are all better than you with the swords and the maneuver gear. So keep quiet and let me think."

The man looked shocked, then angry. But he kept his mouth shut and turned away.

…

The Survey Corps should be returning soon. The paper in the second hideout had said they would be gone for about four days, with the Corps returning on the fifth. It was now midmorning on the fifth day. As if his thoughts had summoned them into being Armin noticed a long line of horses and people, streaming out from one of the forests. Orr, what should have been a long line. Armin stared in shock, blue eyes widening as he took in the numbers. _So many dead. _The Corps had told them the data when in training but seeing it... this was terrible. _How do the survivors have the will to fight after seeing so many die? _

Forcing himself to act the blond teen grabbed up a green and white flag. Flags had been the method of communication he had settled upon. The watchers along the wall shouted news to one another, until the news reached Armin, who then signalled the Wings down in the city.

Soon the message was spreading like wildfire among the thieves. _The Corps are back. And we need to leave. _

Despite the help they had provided during the mission, none of the gang wanted to be caught by Levi or Erwin and answer for the destruction they had wreaked upon the training grounds. Before he left however, the strategist quickly turned to the military guard stationed at this part of the wall. "Don't tell them how we communicated along the walls, and make sure nobody else does either. And if you think you can ignore what we say then just look at what happened to the Survey Corps' base." The man's eyes widened and he nodded.

_Good. I don't know how useful the military would find communications along the walls, but if they need them then at least we have a bargaining tool to use._ _Not that I actually plan on damaging the man's property. _With no more time to lose – the gates were already opening - Armin grabbed his signal flags, then joined his friends as they fled into the underground.

…

Erwin stared. At the wall's lookout points were people he hadn't expected, hadn't dared hope would actually appear. Though they were disappearing back inside the city quickly, obviously having noticed the return of the soldiers, there was no mistaking the worn clothing that they wore, or the tattoos across many of their arms.

_Looks like you were right Levi. _


End file.
